Chapters 11-16 discussion (spoilers in updates).....................
He didn't want to watch her concern become pity. He really did not think he could stand her pity.
Now that Venice knows who Noble is, our new hurdle is some of that popular "I'm not good enough for her" from Noble. He still refuses to tell her about her father cutting him off and how he was drafted into the war. You know all things that could explain matters instead of letting antagonisms feed off confusion.
She'd expected he would take her to his uncle, she'd expected he'd want to be with her, she'd expected they'd pick up the friendship that had been left hanging ten years ago. She twisted her fingers in her skirt, her childlike sense of betrayal still fresh and raw. You'd think she'd have learned not to expect things from people by now.
I really liked this moment because it shows how Venice gets lost in her own head with her own wants and expectations. She wanted Noble to do all those things and that became expectation, instead of her stopping and listening and understanding who the man Noble is today.
"Cook's kid? Is that what he told you?" Venice asked. "He didn't tell you we were friends?"
"Ah, no. He just said his ma used to work for your daddy and he had to, ah, wipe your nose."
Had to?! So that was all she'd meant to him. A snotty-nosed brat he'd had to keep an eye on. That was probably why he was so loath to take her to her uncle. He didn't want to resume old responsibilities.
I think Venice's pain gets lost a bit in the slightly humorous tone here, but it shows that from Venice's side their friendship was genuine. Noble expressed his emotions more sweetly in the beginning but this shows that he's not alone.
"You mean he's going after her?" Katie asked, wide-eyes with confusion.
"Yup. Told me so when he came into the bar. He's going to trail them to make sure nothing happens. He isn't all that happy about it, though."
"I'll be damned! But if he ain't so happy about it, how come he's doin' it?"
Tim, still watching Noble striding up the mud-choked street, shook his head. "I don't think he can help himself."
Besides themselves heroes, gah, I love. So, obviously, Noble isn't let Venice take her trip to her uncle with just the two Ute guides and Reed (who we learned gambled away his family fortune and that is why he is pursuing marriage with Venice so hard). I sense some Reed villainy and Noble rescuing.
It was okay. It was all right. Venice was safe. He stood, eyes closed, head thrown back. The heat behind his eyes turned into tears of relief, mingling with the cold rain streaming down his cheeks. "Venice!" She turned. There was no surprise in her eyes, just an overwhelming gladness.
************
He loved her. It didn't matter if she was Trevor Leiland's child and as beyond his reach as the moon. He loved her. He always had. He closed his eyes. Loving Venice didn't make her any more attainable. He could never say the words. But he could no longer deny it to himself.
So our boy kind of goes through it. Reed paid off the Ute guides to leave him alone with Venice but he leads them into a flash flood. I need to back up a second and say Reed did do one good thing, he unknowingly told Venice, he didn't know her father was the one who started to pay for Noble's Yale schooling, that Noble's sponsor had pulled his funding and given Noble's name to the drafting office. So now Venice knows more of her father's underhandedness and what Noble went through.
Back to the flash flood, I love how when Noble sees that Venice is ok, he cries! Man tears! But of course back to the "I'm not good enough" a little while latter.
Reed is in danger and Noble being noble (ha!) fights to save him but of course Reed being the villain of the piece makes it show Noble ends up in the raging waters. Venice demands they have to stay and search for Noble but Reed is all peace out and eventually decides Venice isn't worth it because he know thinks she slept with Reed. Who knew men who want to marry you for your money could still be so slut shame-y?
Venice finds Noble and through the grit and fight in both, they end up finally safe as Noble seems to have some bad injuries.
All the secrets seem to out between these two, I guess still questions about the rich girl Noble seemed to have fling with, and I'm waiting for the bedroom (tent?) scene to happen. I sense some Noble loving Venice then pushing away in "I'm not good enough" third act drama coming but hoping it's not too dragged out.
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